Tag: Oscar Pistorius

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Olympic Athlete Oscar Pistorius Found Not Guilty of Murder

While cleared of premeditated murder, Pistorius could still be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the February 14, 2013, shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

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Olympian Oscar Pistorius will not be a part of South Africa’s “It Gets Better” effort

Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius recorded a video message for South Africa’s “It Gets Better” website launching this week, but it will not be included due to his current legal troubles.

TimesLive reports:

Organisers of the “It Gets Better, South Africa” campaign against homophobic bullying, due to be launched tomorrow, severed Oscar Pistorius’s connection with it yesterday.
In his video, which will no longer be included in the campaign, Pistorius said: “Just remember that you’re special. You don’t have to worry. You don’t have to change. Take a deep breath and remember ‘It will get better’.”

At a preliminary hearing today for the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Pistorius pleaded “not guilty,” and insisted it was an accident based on his mistaking her for an intruder.

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Olympian Oscar Pistorius arrested and charged with murder

South African double-amputee Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend this morning, the Guardian reports:

South African star sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend and will appear in a Pretoria court on Thursday afternoon, police have confirmed. Pistorius, 26, is alleged to have killed his 30-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who died of gunshot wounds at his home in a gated-community in the city this morning.

Police spokeswoman Denise Beukes said earlier reports that the suspect had been surprised by his girlfriend and had thought she was an intruder did not come from police. She said there had been reports from neighbors of shouting and screaming coming from the house earlier in the evening. She said police had been called to the house on previous occasions after reports of “a domestic nature.”

There is speculation in the local media that Pistorius may have mistaken his girlfriend for a burglar and the shooting could have been a result of a Valentine’s Day surprise gone wrong.

Very, very sad.  I, and much  of the world, was inspired by Pistorius’ Olympic showing last summer.

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Olympic Inspiration: Oscar Pistorius of South Africa

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar “Blade Runner” Pistorius has been one of the most inspiring stories of this Olympics.

Born without fibulas (commonly known as the calf bone), both his legs were amputated below the knee when he was still an infant.

At the age of 17 and with just a few months of training, he won a gold medal at 200 meters in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, also adding silvers in the 400 meters and 100 meters.

Pistorius ran in the men’s 400-meter race in London over the weekend, making history as the first double amputee to compete in the Olympic games.

Although he did not medal, he did make it clear how successful his journey to the Olympics and competing among the other athletes made him feel.

After the race, fellow competitor Kirani James of Grenada turned to Pistorius, hugged him, and then asked to exchange name bibs, a poignant gesture of respect.

Pistorius had come in at 46.54 seconds, .95 of a second behind James, the winner. James said of Pistorius, “He’s very special to our sport. He’s a great individual – it’s time we see him like that and not anything else.”

Pistorius called James a “phenomenal competitor” and said that trading the name bibs was “what the Olympic spirit is all about.”